Links

March 31, 2011

The Belle Brigade, an LA group fronted by siblings Ethan and Barbara Gruska, is getting a lot of hype as the next big thing, following a popular SXSW appearance. Their soaring vocal harmonies and slight country twang give them an Avett Brothers meets Mumford and Sons meets charming brother/sister duets feel. The first two singles off their upcoming self-titled album due out April 19th (Preorder here) are some of the most exciting tracks we have heard this year so far. We are very excited to hear the album and see how quickly these guys blow up. It's hard not to love this stuff. Enjoy!

March 30, 2011

Our friends over at Fleet Foxes have released this video in anticipation of their forthcoming sophomore release Helplessness Blues out May 3. "Grown Ocean" will be on the album, and if it's an indication of the record's sound, I'm already more than excited. Take a gander!

March 28, 2011

French electronic duo Justice has finally returned after a four-year break since dropping their enormously successful debut album, † . Seattle radio station 107.7 The End noticed that their newest single, "Civilization" appeared early on the French iTunes store. This single gives us much hope for their (hopefully soon) upcoming release. Enjoy!

March 25, 2011

Over here at the Adventure Galley we are big fans of The Morning Benders. So needless to say we were excited when they announced through their Facebook page that they had released an EP of remixes and unreleased songs. Even more awesome is that all proceeds from the sale of this EP go to support Japan. The EP is available at the band's website for a donation amount of your choice. And you get an awesome album out of it!

March 24, 2011

Unfortunately, there is very little information available on the internet about Detroit, MI based band Of Oceans. Their Bandcamp page is extremely sparse, aside from this two-song Of Oceans - EP, and a previous album titled BIG MIND. This mini-ep, released at the end of 2010, contains two wonderfully crafted ambient, electro-dance songs very reminiscent of the Baths album Cerulean. If you liked that then you will most definitely enjoy Of Oceans.

March 23, 2011

Xaphoon Jones, better known as half of Chiddy Bang, has released The Xaphoon Jones Mixtape, Vol. 1, a collection of awesome remixes and clever mashups. Highlights include "Swimming In The Sky," a surprisingly fluid mashup of Passion Pit, Notorious B.I.G., and Beyoncé, a remix of "Bad Day" by Darwin Deez with an electronic twist, and "Testify," a groovy mashup of Kanye West and Radiohead. This mixtape is a lot of fun! Enjoy!

March 19, 2011

Airlines, a young electro/indie band from Los Angeles, CA, released their debut EP, Visions, in Februrary. The concise four-song set is a great sign of things to come. Their catchy synths and dance-able rhythms make this EP quite a pleasure. The whole EP is available for free on their Bandcamp page. Enjoy!

March 16, 2011

Grieves, the stage name of Seattle-based rapper Benjamin Laub, is the closest thing to the next Atmosphere. That is a very big statement considering his young age, but one listen to this kid's flow and you will agree with us. With beats provided by Budo, Grieves has just released a new single, Lightspeed, and a beautifully done music video to go along with it. The new track perfectly encapsulates how he raps well beyond his years. It would appear as if Grieves is making moves to become one of the leading figures of the alternative rap scene. Look out for his upcoming album, Together/Apart, due out on Rhymesayers Entertainment this summer. In the mean time, check out his previous albums Irreversible, and 88 Keys and Counting.

March 14, 2011

In the world of Americana/Alt-Country/general indie rock, there isn't really a better example of a supergroup than this here. (Maybe Monsters of Folk, but that's for another post.) Collectively under the moniker of Middle Brother, they are individually the front-men of Deer Tick (McCauly), Dawes (Goldsmith), and Delta Spirit (Vasquez). Their self-titled debut is nothing radically different for any of these men, but the quality of songwriting and playing we expect from them all is most definitely here. The trio's energy is evident throughout. All contribute their signature styles to the album, and sing together on some of the songs to great success. If you're a fan of any of the individual bands it really is a great listen. As always, enjoy.

March 13, 2011

Friday night at the Red Room in Boston, we had the pleasure of catching a sold out performance of avant-garde cellist Zoë Keating. Keating uses a foot-controlled computer looping program to recreate her lush sound in a live setting. Her concise hour-long set was executed flawlessly, and with much concentration on the complex looping arrangements of her pieces. Keating is currently selling out almost all her live shows due to her desire to continue to play intimate venues. In this case, it paid off. The tiny room allowed her cello to fill the room with gorgeous harmonies. She ended her performance with an extraordinary rendition of the 2nd movement of Beethoven's 7th Symphony. If you are able to ever see her live, jump at the opportunity.

March 12, 2011

We recently mentioned Departing in a Recent Recommended Releases post, and now that we've listened to the album a few more times, we couldn't help but talk about it again. This Toronto outfit's sophomore album presents emotional folk-rock from a decidedly wintry Canadian landscape. At only 33 minutes long, Departing is awfully short. But the calibre of song-writing is high, and pushed along by Paul Banwatt's fantastic and inventive drumming, every song is fresh and interesting. Quite simply, it's a must-listen. Enjoy.

March 10, 2011

A few days ago, Robin Pecknold, the lead singer of Fleet Foxes posted a link on the Fleet Foxes' Twitter page to download three new songs of his, including a duet with Ed Droste of Grizzly Bear. They are all quiet acoustic songs that are extremely well done. If you're a fan of either Fleet Foxes or Grizzly Bear, you will love these new tracks!

March 09, 2011

James Vincent McMorrow's debut album, Early In The Morning, has been released in Ireland, his native land, for over a year, and finally saw its US release about a month ago. Having been compared to Bon Iver, McMorrow stands at the top of the heap of male singer/songwriters. While is voice is soothing, some of the most exciting moments on the album are when he breaks out of that a little bit, almost belting parts of select songs. This kind of album has been made countless times. But it is almost never made this well.

March 08, 2011

I hope that all of you have already heard of Atmosphere. If not, prepare to discover one of rap's finest groups of the last decade. Slug (MC) and Ant (Producer) are at it again and have just released the first single off their upcoming album titled The Family Sign, due out April 12th on Rhymesayers Entertainment. The single, "Just For Show," is most easily compared to material off their 2008 album, When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold, a personal favorite. While the lyrics don't display the same kind of attitude as in early Atmosphere works, at this stage in their career it would feel strange if it did. Looks like Atmosphere is growing up. Enjoy!

March 07, 2011

We’ve told you about Alex Schaaf and Yellow Ostrich before. But last night at The Middle East, we had the wonderful opportunity to experience their music in a completely new way.

At many live performances, the material presented is very much like the recordings, just louder. In contrast, when Yellow Ostrich took the stage they brought an entirely new and fresh sound to an album we were already enthralled by. Accompanying Schaaf were his usual cohort Michael Tapper drumming and the wonderful and now permanent addition of Jon Natchez on bass and horns. (Side note: Natchez is a former member of Beirut….which means he has probably touched Zach Condon at some point!)

The drums, bass and horns propelled the band into a totally new arena musically. The sparse stylings on record were transformed into an amazingly full sound that provided all the makings for a stupendous performance. It was almost easy to forget the most intriguing and impressive part; Schaaf’s live vocal sampling. On many of the songs he would lay down two or three harmonies of himself before even beginning to sing the lyrics. (A good example can be found below.) No one does it quite like he does. Oh yeah, and he was barefoot the whole time. We really like this guy.

Apart from the material off The Mistress performed so vigorously, the boys also brought a few new songs including standout “Marathon Runner.” Unfortunately even Schaaf doesn’t know when they’ll record next, as he told us after the show.

Regardless, the unexpected power combined with the already familiar sweet, soaring, melodic sound of Yellow Ostrich made for a tremendous show. Catch them if you can!

March 05, 2011

French Films, a five-man indie-pop-punk outfit, contrary to their name, hail from Helsinki, Finland. Their debut EP, Golden Sea, is a quick four-song taste of the greatness that is to come from this group. If you like Vampire Weekend or anything like them, you are sure to like French Films.

In this installment, we turn to Philadelphia easy rockers Dr. Dog with a cut off of their latest album Shame Shame. This is a wonderful, curious little video. And if you only wanna watch a few seconds, I recommend 2:00-2:03. I want to receive a christmas card from that man.

March 04, 2011

Mashups are not for everyone. But this album most definitely is. Mashup master Wick-It The Instigator cleverly combines songs from The Black Keys' Brothers and Big Boi's Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son Of Chico Dusty to create something brand new and fantastic. It is surprising how well the two very different albums mesh. The eight-track album is available for free on Bandcamp. You will enjoy!

A few weeks ago at our friends' Dr. Dog's Boston show, we came upon a rare occurrence; a truly great opening act. The Head and the Heart, described by Christopher Mansfield as the "next big thing out of Seattle," offer a blend of rootsy Americana, great songwriting, and sweet male/female harmonies. Their self-titled debut album is well-worth checking out, and their live performances are even better.

Introducing Yellow Ostrich, the creation of Wisconsin-born Alex Schaaf, and his first full-length album The Mistress. It's a sparse but sneakily delightful record utilizing little more than floor tom, guitar, bass, not to mention Schaaf's haunting vocals. The full album is available for purchase exclusively at eMusic, and all of the band's earlier EP's are available for free download at their Bandcamp. For now, enjoy these cuts off The Mistress.

The brainchild of Seattle songwriter Christopher Mansfield, Fences is now a full live band. Their self-titled full length album, produced by Sara Quin of Tegan and Sara, has been compared to the likes of Bright Eyes and Elliott Smith. Fences has been featured as an "Artist to Watch" by Spin Magazine and will be playing a Showcase performance at SXSW 2011. Fences is surely a band on their way up, and according to Mansfield, "We're in this for the long haul".

Indie youngsters from Calgary, Canada have finally released their first full length album, Native Speaker, to our delight. It is a calming blend of melodic synths, reverbed guitars and airy vocals. It's a must listen. Enjoy!

March 03, 2011

You are now inside Write To The Beat. How do you feel? We feel great! This site is dedicated to the exposure of wonderful music that brings us happiness and we hope will do the same for you. So come on in and grab an earful.